CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The conduct of the just concluded midterm elections last Monday was generally peaceful. This was the statement of the Police Regional Office 3 in assessing the 2019 elections in the region.
“There were only three election-related incidents validated by us and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) since the start of the election period last January 13,” regional director Police Brig. Gen. Joel Napoleon Coronel said in a statement on Tuesday. He said incidents of violations of the liquor ban, vote buying and vote selling were recorded.
Coronel said a total of eight persons were arrested for vote buying and selling in Tarlac and Pampanga while a flying voter was apprehended also in Pampanga. A total of 68 individuals were arrested for violation of the 48-hour liquor ban.
“As a result of the stern implementation of the gun ban which took effect at the start of the election period last January 13, a total of 776 assorted firearms and 5,039 deadly weapons were already confiscated with the arrest of 564 suspects. We will continue to monitor until the end of the ban on June 12,” Coronel said.
Meanwhile, the police will continue to secure the vote counting machines (VCMs) until they are all transported back to their provincial hubs.
“The success of the elections here in Central Luzon was the result of the concerted efforts of the Comelec, PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines through the Regional Joint Security Coordinating Council and other partner agencies who worked hand-in-hand to ensure the safety and security as well as guarantee the smooth flow of this national exercise,” Coronel pointed out.
“I wish to commend the men and women of Police Regional Office 3 and our AFP counterparts for their exemplary performance of election duties and also the support of our media practitioners as well as the general public which paved the way for the attainment of our goal for a safe, clear and credible elections,” the official said.
